(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus facilitating the cooking of multiple products simultaneously. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cooking tray and cooking rack for securing a cooking tray therein.
(b) Background of the Invention
In the field of cooking technology, the opening and cavity in the cookers that receive the cooking tray are typically of circular cross-section. Typically, the same cooking tray is used in the cooker as is used to store the cooked product and later for presenting the cooked product for service to a customer. Typically, multiple cooking trays are placed on a rectangular presentation pan. While, circular cooking trays provide the greater surface area within the cooker upon which to place the products being cooked, they are inefficient when placed on the rectangular presentation pans. Round cooking trays use the outer area of the cookers efficiently by extending to the outer surface of the cooker, but use the inner area of presentation pans inefficiently by abutting round edges next to one another creating gaps between the trays. An apparatus is desired that provides increased space efficiency when used in connection with existing cookers and presentation pans.
Further, cookers are generally top-loaded, having a lid on the top of the cooker covering the opening to the cavity of the cooker into which the racks containing the cooking trays full of products to be cooked are loaded. Cooking trays are typically added to the cooker using either stackable trays and tongs to place the cooking trays in and to remove the cooking trays from the cooker or a clam-shaped apparatus containing the cooking trays full of products to be cooked. Problems can exist with each method. Particularly, the use of tongs is very unstable, causing cooking trays and the products being cooked, primarily chicken, for example, to possibly fall to the ground when being removed from the cooker.